Shelby Review

A recent virtual town hall meeting with Sen. Michael McDonald (R-Macomb Township) drew in 2,774 Macomb County residents to discuss measures meant to ensure the safety and economic well-being of residents in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

McDonald was joined in discussions by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Stamas (R-Midland), according to the MiSenateGOP website. During the town hall, Stamas and McDonald addressed the recently enacted 2021 state budget and took questions from residents.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in Thursday’s successful tele-town hall meeting,” MacDonald said, according to MiSenateGOP. “The tele-town hall forum allows us to talk with thousands of families and job providers safely and effectively about what we are doing to protect area residents and improve our state. It also offers us a chance to hear from the people about their goals and take direct questions on important issues facing our state and region.”

Sen. Michael MacDonald | #MiSenateGOP

Some of the questions from residents covered areas including unemployment, mask mandates, election security, procedures for late-delivered mail-in ballots, guns in the Capitol, the potential for future lockdowns and the COVID-19 protection measures recently passed by the Legislature.

“It’s always great to answer smart questions from Macomb families and to hear what is most important to them,” MacDonald told MiSenateGOP. “While it’s good to see life is getting better for most people, there is still work to do, and the pandemic continues to the biggest issue facing our state.”

The virtual town hall also enabled participants to answer survey questions. A majority of respondents, 57%, chose COVID-19 as the most important issue for the Senate to address in the coming months, with the other 43% choosing crime and public safety. No one chose education, health care or roads, according to MiSenateGOP.